Mid90s Review: Jonah Hill's Directorial Debut is Raw and Welcoming

R: Pervasive language, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, some violent behavior/disturbing images - all involving minors. A24 Writer/Dir: Jonah Hill1 Hr 23 MinutesCast: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston, Gio Galicia, Na-kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Ryder McLaughlin, Alexa Demie, Jerrod Carmichael
Mid90s follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.
For a film called “Mid90s” it’s fitting how Jonah Hill’s filmmaking format is in a 4:3 aspect ratio which correlates to the same video format you would see on a home video camcorder. Because of how the film is presented, you’re surreally immersed into the titular time era it takes place in. If you follow Hill on social media, you’re aware of the fact that Hill is a skaterhead. He is a massive fan of the skater culture, from the clothing to the music, and you realize that this is his scene and what he grew up loving. All of the personal aspects of his interests are present in the film and it perfectly captures the essence of the surroundings he was raised upon. In the film’s opening sequence, you see all of the music and clothes in his collection. Part of me wonders what flea market Jonah Hill visited to get all of the props for this film. Or did he use personal stuff that he’s collected and saved over the years?
Hill has written for numerous films, but he has never written solo projects. So, with “Mid90s” it’s clear that this is not only the most personal project he’s embarked on, but also the perfect opportunity to express his voice as a filmmaker and, for the most part, he does just that.Out of the many projects young actor Sunny Suljic has been in, this one could ultimately be considered his “breakout role”. His performance as Stevie and how he’s characterized is one of the core carriers of the film. It is established early on that this 13-year-old kid is in desperate need of friends because he’s completely disconnected from his dysfunctional family and the longer he spends his days at home, the closer he is to killing himself. Not joking, he often attempts to kill himself because his living situation is hell. Yes, those moments are genuinely uncomfortable and intense and leaves you going:
Stevie lives in a standard suburban house, but he has to deal with a dick of an older brother who physically abuses him for the sake of his own enjoyment and a neglectful mom who couldn’t care less about what Stevie does. Not only do you emotionally resonate with Stevie because of this, but you like him because of his youth and innocence. He’s 13 but has the mannerisms of a younger kid. You see him learning so much about the world and the expanding of his social horizons outside of his comfort zone and you root for him to find his own happiness. You see him having a hard time socializing, especially with the older kids he hangs out with, and it's a relatable aspect of the film that gives it a visceral feel.
Another contributing factor to the film’s authentic atmosphere is the writing. Similar to films such as “Eighth Grade” and “Skate Kitchen”, all of the characters here feel like their respectable ages. The conversations these teenagers have are often funny and stupid, but it works because of their vernacular and their banter. Even when you can tell these boys are ad libbing, it still feels natural. This is a Jonah Hill movie which means comedy is present. While most of the movie is pretty funny, it never aims for the outrageous R-rated, shock value jokes. Another thing about the film I have to give credit to is the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. While they are legitimate, award-winning composers, you have to remember that these are the guys from Nine Inch Nails, one of the most popular bands of the 90s. You can’t get more 90's than that. All jokes aside, there is a calm, cool, and collected vibe to the score which feels good to listen to. Instead of playing with synths they play with instruments that accompany a lot of the scenes magnificently.
We’ve never seen asshole-dude-bro Lucas Hedges before, and while this is a new persona for him, the film never explores the reason why his character (Ian) is the way he is. Last year Hedges was so vulnerable and sweet in “Lady Bird” and here he’s just an abusive prick. I know he’s going to make me cry in “Boy Erased” later this season, but until then I despise this guy.  He’s a fucking dick in every scene he’s in and they do nothing to develop or explore that character when he could be interesting enough on his own. He gives a great performance because you downright hate this guy, but him being such a one-dimensional character is rather disappointing. They even insinuate that the gears could shift focus to Stevie and his relationship with his brother, but that ultimately ends up nowhere. Also, I never noticed how much Lucas Hedges looked like a young Slim Shady until this film.Okay, let’s talk about that scene. You know what I’m talking about. You saw it in the trailer where Stevie gets some from an older girl. While that sequence ends on a hilarious punchline, the entirety of that scene is uncomfortable as hell. If there was anything that didn’t need to be so long, it was that scene where her and Stevie hook up. I understand the intentions of the scene and what context it serves to some of the conflict between Stevie and one of his friends, but it would’ve been more effective if it was implied rather than shown. Nobody wants to watch a 13-year-old hook up with a 17-year-old. It’s completely jarring and when you wish for the shot to cut to another scene, it just keeps going when you know you need this to end. You end up looking like Jonah Hill to this Jonah Hill movie.
The film is set in the 90s and Hill brilliantly captures the essence of the time, but the film gets so 90s that it feels like a telegraphed after-school special at times. They even go over the common decency of manners and it's a valuable moment which is charming albeit a bit corny. The actors do a fine job delivering the dialogue, but the dialogue itself is part of the issue. All you don’t hear is the sentimental piano to evoke false emotions.
Since Jonah hill made his love letter to the 90s I want to see his little sister Beanie Feldstein’s love letter to the 2000s. Call it Mid00s. Then again she was in “Lady Bird” which was Greta Gerwig's love letter to the 00s. But honestly, for “Mid90s” being Jonah Hill’s profession of his stance as both a writer and director, I applaud him for being personal through his filmmaking and expressing true emotions. It makes me pumped to see what his next solo project will be.
“Mid90s” serves as a great welcoming of Jonah Hill as a director as he provides a relatively mature and raw coming of age tale, even if it feels too telegraphed at times.Rating: 3.5/5 | 75%Super Scene: The skating leap